PMO seeks Orissa flood report

Bhubaneswar: The Prime Minister`s Office on Wednesday sought a report from the Orissa government on the flood situation in the state, with the deluge claiming at least 20 lives while 12 others were missing. "We have responded to the PMO which wanted a report on the flood situation in the state," chief secretary B K Patnaik said.

The state government has requested the Centre to send an inter-ministerial team to access the damage caused due to the calamity, he said.

The death toll increased to 20 while 12 others were missing, special relief commissioner P K Mohapatra said.

A maximum of seven persons died in Japur district followed by six in Kendrapara, three in Mayurbhanj, two each in Dhenkanal and Sambalpur, and one in Bhadrak district.

12 other persons were either swept away or drowned in Bargarh, Nayagarh, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara and Cuttack with the bodies yet to be traced, Mohapatra said.

Revenue and Disaster Management minister S N Patro said that air-dropping of food by helicopters was suspended in the afternoon because of poor visibility, but with the weather improving it was resumed later.

Patro said that the air-dropping would continue tomorrow since 1,278 villages were still marooned.

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